


The Carlion Journeys

by CierraLexington



Category: Camelot - Fandom, Eureka (TV), Excalibur - Fandom, King Arthur, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe, The Librarians (TV 2014), Warehouse 13
Genre: My First Fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2019-08-05 05:04:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16361345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CierraLexington/pseuds/CierraLexington
Summary: Scientists on Atlantis have discovered information that another city-ship may exist in another system. General John Sheppard brings together a ragtag team from a variety of backgrounds in an attempt to locate the elusive Camelot.





	1. Chapter 1

General John Sheppard sauntered down the soaringly beautiful yet functional metal hall. Despite his impeccably ordered uniform, something about his posture gave him an overwhelming air of disrepute. An impossibly thin young man trotted at his heels while thumbing through a tablet’s various screens. A pair of spring loaded glasses fit snugly on the tip of his protruding nose. At a glance, it was clear that this young man was the one responsible for the organization of the General’s appearance. Though the swagger was all John Sheppard.

The young man stopped at a room labeled in clear military font ‘Conference Room 3’. The General continued on for a step or three before the not-so-subtle cough from his assistant alerted him to the fact that he had arrived at his destination. General Sheppard pulled a fluid u-turn and stepped jauntily through the door held open by his very capable assistant.

“Good Morning two ladies and one gentlemen.” He smirked at the three young people sitting stiffly at the table in front of him. Their visitor badges shone brightly on the front of their jackets. The subtly armed guards in the corner of the room overshadowed the technical genius of the room’s design. As long as he had lived here, Sheppard had never gotten used to the marvels of Ancient design.

Sheppard looked towards the expansive ceiling, spread his hands wide, and intoned “Welcome! To Atlantis.” He waited patiently, as if expecting a round of surprised or excited gasps. But when no appreciation followed his pronouncement, he risked a glance at the table.

The three young adults glowered at him. One of them played with a pencil as if she expected to do damage with it. Sheppard let his arms fall and shrugged it off, only slightly unnerved by their less-than-enthusiastic response. He strode over to their table, snagged a chair and straddled it the opposite way that chairs are supposed to be used. He draped his long arms across the chair back and smiled warmly at them again. “Glad you could make it.”

The youngest woman in the room muttered to the Hispanic athlete next to her, “Not like we were given much of a choice.”

The heartthrob powerhouse of a woman snorted, a very ungraceful sound.

The young man who sat across from the two women quirked a half-smile on his round face, but didn’t comment.

“Come on now, you three!” Sheppard lamented, “Here you are in the most technologically advanced city in the universe! An amazing product of alien design. You could be a little more appreciative!” If he weren’t a general, it would sound as if he whined at them.

"Weeeeelll," the young man drawled, "it wasn't like your invitation was particularly inviting. It just said 'special assignment' and gave the address." His brown eyes flashed discordantly with his lighthearted tone.

The powerhouse woman snorted again, "It wasn't even printed on any form of acceptable cardstock. Just plain old printer paper. Who does that?"

The impeccable assistant stabbed a glare in General Sheppard's direction, who decided to pretend he hadn't seen it.  
"Ah well, you know, those secretary types don't always get everything right." He cleared his throat. His assistant looked downright affronted.

"But that's beside the point! Aren't you even the least bit curious as to why you three have been gathered here…" he deepened his voice dramatically again, "in Atlantis!?"

The three blinked at him, still thoroughly unimpressed.

The young man ventured, "I'm betting it's because we've been selected for a 'special assignment'. You know, like the invite said?"

Sheppard cleared his throat again, glancing down at nonexistent notes and wished he had something to fidget with. "yes well, that's the essence of it yes." He turned to his assistant, not quite desperately.

The assistant relished the chance to remind the General about the work that 'secretary types' like himself can accomplish. He stepped forward, immediately commanding the attention of the room.

"You were brought here because you have been recommended by individual experts in your fields as the crew perfectly suited for this exploration mission. Before I continue, I need to make sure you all understand that you have signed legally binding nondisclosure agreements and if you mention anything about Atlantis or your mission, you can and will be branded traitors to your country and given the appropriate consequences thereof." He leaned forward and looked at the group over the top of the glasses that perched so precariously at the tip of his nose.

General Sheppard stepped in, "I'm certain they are all aware of that Master Sergeant. Please, proceed." He waved magnanimously, apparently unaffected when the same look was turned his way.

"Yes, well. To continue," he turned back to the group, "Obviously Atlantis is a city full of technical marvels. It was created by an alien race we call the Ancients hundreds of years ago. The Ancients were masters of advanced technology, including among their creations not just Atlantis but also the Stargate system that allows interplanetary travel. Atlantis is just one of the city-ships created for their survival." He turned to the center of the table and brought up a holographic display of a forested planet, rising above the trees on the horizon was a tower shaped just like the central spire of Atlantis. "We have found remains of other city-ships, but to date Atlantis is the only ship we have recovered intact." He tapped the table, now it projected a map of a star system "Atlantis houses a vast amount of information within its myriad databases so we are still uncovering new information. Some of the information we have recovered seems to indicate the continued existence of another city-ship outside of either this galaxy or the Pegasus galaxy." He switched the floating image again to a series of lists that were incomprehensible to the General.

"Unfortunately, the information recovered is incomplete. We are unsure if the information loss was deliberate or caused by the decline in available energy as the city's ZPMs were depleted while it was underwater. We do know that there should be a repository for more information here." The displayed image jumped back to the solar system, then zoomed in quickly to one of the planets on the outlying edge. The quick change caused a brief wave of vertigo to sweep over the General, but he was used to it and it faded quickly.

"We have selected the three of you to form the foundation of an exploratory team." The secretary gave his General a pointed look over those ridiculous glasses.

Sheppard recognized his cue, "Your unique combination of skills and the variety of your backgrounds means that you all will have the best chance of discovering this repository and helping us pinpoint where the other city-ship could be. We are hoping to recover it in pristine condition."

The young man with the round face looked around at his two companions incredulously "Just the three of us?" The others also looked mildly queasy at the idea of venturing into unknown space.

Sheppard looked at him, "What? No, of course not. You'll be accompanied by SG-14. Who knows what could be on that planet? Geez."

He slapped the table's controls harder than necessary. The secretary flinched and glanced at the table apologetically. The holographic image changed to one of the city's many Gate Ships. "This is a Puddle Jumper. Since we don't know what to expect, we'll be sending you and SG-14 through the gate in one of these babies. They're great. They have pretty good maneuverability when in atmosphere, they're fully equipped to handle spaceflight, and they're armed in case you come across something SG-14 can't handle." He pointed his finger at them, "You'll have to get the gene therapy though, so that you can use the equipment."

The secretary handed a tablet to each of them. "Here is some basic information you will need to familiarize yourself with before the mission." He gave a half-smile to the youngest of them, "Not like you need it much, but maybe you'll find something interesting." He looked at the other two. "The first page is your confirmation of willingness to take on this mission, followed by more pages detailing the insurance and provisions should you not return."

Sheppard stood up and returned his chair to the table. "I'll let you kiddies peruse the paperwork. I'll see you again at your final briefing before you depart." He waved over his shoulder as he left the room. "Have fun!"

The secretary sighed, gave them a wry smile, "If you have any questions, tap this symbol on the tablet and someone will answer your questions. Though there may not be much Kiera can't answer." The young woman smiled shyly and ducked her head.

"Someone will come check on you all in about an hour. Please make sure you read everything," He gave the young man with the round face a pointed look, "I promise the information will be both useful and interesting." The young man shrugged noncommittally before he started swiping through the pages.

The secretary sighed, nodded to Kiera, and followed the General.

The young man looked up at the two women, "Where are they sending us again?"

The women shared a look that communicated the incompetence of men for the first time. It would not be their last.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiera takes Gina and Mike on a tour of Atlantis. Buttons are pushed that really shouldn't have been.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone! Thank you for your patience! I'm currently in my senior year of graduate school which makes writing new chapters a challenging activity. I'll get them to you as soon as I can, but sadly due to coursework I can't promise any kind of consistency on the timeline. 
> 
> Thank you for all of the kudos! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

Kiera flipped through the paperwork, paying attention with only half of her brain. The informational pieces about the Stargate program and the risks of participation were unnecessary for her. Her father had adopted her when she was eleven years old when she was the only unclaimed child in her group of refugees resettled through the Stargate. At first they had thought about putting her into the foster care system, but because of her alien origin, it wasn't approved. That's when her father decided to step in. Daniel was more of a father to her than the farmer who donated his DNA to her creation had ever been. She used to worry about how little she cared for her original life back on Gnoabos, but between her therapist and Uncle Jack, she realized it was appreciation for her new family more than anything. Ever since she had walked into Daniel's home, she had been fed, clothed, and educated by the foremost expert on the Stargate program. She fingered the necklace he had given her on her 16th birthday, an amulet of Bastet who, despite her existence as a Goa'uld System Lord, represented care for the home and children here on Earth. It was among the first artifacts that her father had collected when he was still an undergrad intern at an archaeology dig. It was considered worthless by the professor who was leading the dig, so it found its way into Daniel's bags. 

Thinking about her family made her smile. 

Next to Kiera, the other woman sighed gustily and leaned back in her chair, "Don't they have a cliffnotes version of this?" Her voice was low and smokey, pairing beautifully with eyes so dark brown they were almost black. Despite looking like she should have been proudly strutting on the catwalks, she had an air of practicality and an edge of violence. 

Kiera liked her. 

She leaned back in her chair, "It's a government-run military program. Of course there's no shortcut." 

She snorted, "of course." She elbowed the young man next to her, "What do you make of all of this?"

He looked up at her and cocked his head to the side, "He was an odd man, nothing at all like how Dr. McKay described him." 

She reared back, "You know Dr. McKay? Dr. Rodney McKay?" 

"Well, yeah. He was a consultant for my father's..." he hesitated, "business." His head cocked again, reminding Keira briefly of a dog, "Do you know him?" 

She nodded, "He was a guest lecturer during my thesis. His conclusions regarding quantum field theory were really revitalizing. My high school was divided for months after his visit." 

His eyes widened slightly, "Your high school? I didn't think Dr. McKay would ever get within fifty feet of a high school."

She shrugged, "Tesla High School is not your average school. I'm Regina by the way, Regina Josephina Fargo." 

He smiled and held out his hand, "Mike Lattimer, pleased to meet you." 

That spurred a round of introductions that bordered on resume recitations at the end of which, Mike kicked back in his chair loudly hypothesizing, “So let me get this straight. This super secret international interstellar military operation needs myself, a secret service agent who gets vibes, a former military black ops operative with a phd or two, and an archeologist’s daughter from another planet specializing in multiculturalism. What makes us so special to this mission?”

Kiera chimed in, “Well, the SGC does generally have enough people like me who specialize in...multiculturalism. But other than that? They’re mostly soldiery types with the occasional undervalued intellectual. We’ve all been recommended by someone who thinks the mission would have a better chance of success if we were included in it.” 

Mike snorted and shared a skeptical glance with Regina, who had requested they all call her Gina. 

Gina shrugged, “Someone who has a better idea of what this mission entails has made the decision that we are beneficial. It’s up to us to do our best to meet those expectations.” Her matter-of-fact announcement seemed to settle it for the rest of them as Mike shrugged and nodded agreement. 

Kiera locked her tablet, “How would you guys like a tour of the SGC? I’m sure our new clearance allows us full access, right?” She raised an eyebrow at the airmen standing around the room. 

The man who seemed to be in charge shared an awkward glance with his team, then shrugged. “Have you signed all of the nondisclosure agreements and the assurances for insurance and disposition should you perish prematurely?” 

Mike and Gina quickly tabbed to those pages and signed. The airman shrugged and nodded to his team, who relaxed and started moving toward the entrance. “Then you’re good to go. Keep them with you Kiera until they get the lay of building. It’s easy to get lost.”

Kiera nodded, “Of course Slalock, I’ll take good care of them.”

The team filed out at the tension in the air dropped quickly. “Best to keep a hold of these until Master Sergeant Dubnyk returns.” She also tapped out a quick message to him that they were going on a tour of the facility. He responded lightning fast, of course, reminding her to be mindful of the incoming and outgoing teams when touring the gateroom and to keep them from pushing buttons. For some reason that Kiera didn’t quite understand, he particularly warned her to keep an eye on Gina when around any pushable button. She assured him she’d be vigilant, then locked her tablet and stepped through the door. 

Their tour started in the gateroom where she and Gina talked for awhile about the physics behind the Stargate system while Mike puttered around the control room. An observant private first class managed to stop Gina from pushing too many buttons and dialing the gate while Kiera’s attention was on Mike. Of course that caused an unhappy sergant to chew them out. Kiera quickly relocated them to the kitchens area where Mike could munch to his heart’s content while she and Gina continued to talk about the gate system. 

After their impromptu stop for lunch, they headed over to the gateship bay. Kiera enjoyed sitting back and watching the two of them climb in and out of the ships like jungle gyms. Well, she enjoyed it until Mike sat down in the pilot’s chair and pulled up the flight controls. After much yelling and panic, they finally landed the jumper a foot and a half from the bay’s wall. Kiera banished the two of them from the ship as she coaxed it back into its former position and convinced the radio operator she had just been showing off the jumper’s controls. She took the scolding in stride and dragged the two miscreants back to somewhat safer sections of the city. 

She wondered, not for the first time, if they were even going to survive this mission.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love Winter Break! I can't believe I got another chapter finished so quickly. Time to meet the last member of our intrepid advenurers. Thanks all!
> 
> ~Cierra

Tony Carson Baird was not happy to be left alone in the Library... again. The inestimable Colonel Baird and the irreverent Librarian Flynn had run off through the door to 'save the world from impending doom' leaving Tony behind. As always. The lanky sixteen year old with unkempt blonde hair leaned against a bookshelf and sulked. He knew fully well he was sulking and that remaining behind to keep an eye on the Library was a huge responsibility but... it could bite his skinny ass. Besides, he wasn't really alone in the Library. Of course not. He had to have a babysitter. He glared out of the corner of his eye at the lumpy figure of Jenkins. "Take care of the library" mom had said. "I'm trusting you to do a good job." she'd said. Bah. If she'd meant it, she wouldn't have left Jenkins behind to watch him! 

A tiny voice in the back of his head that was entirely too reasonable and sounded a bit like his Aunt Cassandra reminded him that Jenkins hardly ever left the Library. No matter how 'urgent' the mission was. Another voice with a thick country accent reminded him that Jenkins wasn't always the most aware of individuals. He gets too caught up in his research to really pay attention. And as Uncle Ezekiel was always saying, it pays to pay attention. 

Still... Tony ground his teeth, a bad habit that his dad was always telling him would lead to excessive enamel decay. As if he didn't know that. 

Tony pushed off of the bookshelf and tromped through the main room of the Annex. He stomped his way up the stairs and down to the end of the hall on the left. He pushed open the door, slid around a tottering pile of boxes labeled 'Misc Storage - handle carefully'. Ducked through a small arch in the wall and stepped into his private domain. 

The room was ten feet in diameter and completely round. It had the look and feel of a tower and it had been his favorite place to play or hide ever since he had discovered it on his sixth birthday. There was a fireplace in the far wall and a small stage area where he had a desk setup. The surface of the desk was very organized and clean of all clutter. He wouldn't be a Carson though if he didn't have some clutter. His clutter was on the walls, covered in his drawings and sketches. Each depicted a crazy idea or connection to some odd historical fact. Even the underside of the stairs that circled the tower and led to a second level were covered in sketches and diagrams. In the nook formed by the bottom of the stairs Tony had placed several overstuffed bean bag chairs he'd discovered throughout the Library and brought here to his personal kingdom. 

Those bean bag chairs were his destination as he huffed across the room and threw himself down into the pile. The soft whump of the beans giving way under his assault gave him a feeling of grim satisfaction. He nestled down into the pile, curled up in a tight ball, and laid there. Fuming. 

He could just image what all of the other Librarians were doing right now. 

His Aunt Cassandra was definitely doing some impressive advanced math that delved into the realm of magic. His Uncle Ezekiel was probably stealing something he shouldn’t or making sassy remarks about their situation almost guaranteed to make it worse. Uncle Jacob was assuredly geeking out over some aspect of architecture that was going unappreciated by the rest of the ‘team’. His dad had probably run off on his own, the way he was never supposed to, and his mom? Yeah, his mom was probably pulling her hair out trying to keep their ragtag bunch together. It was the same story every time. 

Tony loved that story.

He loved hearing all of the different versions as each Librarian made themselves the hero of the day. He loved learning about new artifacts in the library and new history, new math, new everything! He loved it!

Just once, though, he wanted to learn it firsthand. Not just through someone else’s story. 

Tony heaved himself out of his beanbag nest and stalked around the room. He trailed his fingers over the sketches, the stories that had inspired them playing through his mind soothed his anger but fueled his longing. 

He stopped at his desk and flipped through the book he was working on. The pages were filled with illustrated starting letters and detailed depictions of the Librarians’ adventures, compiled from each version he was told when they got home. This was his private project. No one, not even his parents, had ever seen it or the versions before it. He had started it when he first realized that no one was allowed to talk about the library. Though they could talk about the Library, surprisingly most people never believed them or they managed to interpret what they said differently. Either way, no one out in the ‘normal’ world knew anything about what his family did for the world. 

Tony thought that was a shame. 

So, he started writing it all down. He may only be 16, but he was the son of the Librarian, his academic skills were surprisingly advanced. He always impressed the home schooling counselor that came out to assess his progress. Her biggest concern was always his social prowess, apparently he did not show the correct level of social skills progression that he should for his age. Whatever. 

He closed the book and picked up the tablet where he was composing the digital version. He had a special place in his heart for the illuminated hand-lettered version, but frankly that was too slow. The tablet allowed him to compose the story and illustrations much faster. The hand-written version he saved only for the best stories. He thumbed through the chapters and images, all depicting his family as humble heroes who save the day without telling anyone. What would it be like to live an adventure like that? 

From down in the Annex he heard Jenkins calling for him, a glance at his watch told him it was time for his ‘lessons’. As the person most likely to be in the Library at all times, and an immortal dating back to the time of Camelot, Jenkins was his head teacher. The rest of the Librarians took turns being a guest teacher for him, plus all of the information he picked up just listening to their conversations. But Jenkins was the real headmaster of the library. Sometimes Tony thought that Jenkins ran the Library more than his dad did, no matter who held the title of Librarian. 

Jenkins called his full name. He flinched and grabbed his bag, a behemoth of a shoulder bag that held his tablets, sketchbooks, and textbooks. Plus a few odds and ends that he thought would probably be useful some day. As he trekked back to the main room of the Annex, he reflected with gratefulness that he was set to graduate soon. Once he was done with his undergraduate degree, he could get out of here and see more of the world. Maybe he could finally prove to his family that he could be included on their adventures and quests. His age shouldn’t be a factor considering his skills.

He dragged his feet on the way through the Annex, staring longingly at the Door which would someday be key to his escape. He entered Jenkin’s office and reluctantly settled in at his desk. Jenkins stood in front of his chalkboard and gave him a judgemental look over his long nose. A quiet harrumph was his only comment on Tony’s tardiness. “Well. Let’s get started then.” Jenkin’s slightly breathy voice was brisk as he got started on the day’s lesson. Tony took notes on his tablet, too busy to notice the sound of pages flipping furiously as the Book registered a new quest despite the rest of the Librarians’ already on an assignment


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did it y'all! I graduated with my Masters! I suddenly have a superfluous amount of time in my schedule since I'm no longer doing homework and the school year is over (I'm a librarian). With the advent of summer, I'm hoping to post new chapters more often! Fingers crossed! 
> 
> ~Cierra
> 
> Shoutout to Anton for catching a continuity problem. Got it fixed!  
> ~Cierra

Kiera was glad when the departure time finally arrived. She’d known about the mission far longer than her new companions and it had been a struggle to remain patient. She nervously played with her amulet, her packs at her feet. She’d traveled through the Stargate several times while growing up, but other than that first time when she was brought to Earth, she was always accompanied by her dad. This was the first time she would be going completely on her own, and they were going so far away that it they would be almost completely out of contact. The team did have a pair of communication stones and a schedule for reporting back on their progress, but that was specifically for the mission and Kiera was pretty sure she wasn’t going to be able to get any personal time to talk to her father.

As if summoned by her thought, her father stepped through the doors of the gateroom chatting amicably with the director of Atlantis. Kiera sighed, she’d always hoped that her father and Dr. Carter would hit it off, but nothing ever materialized out of her daydreams. Instead, Dr. Carter seemed to be pairing up with a retired soldier-type. Kiera never understood how people on this planet valued the athletic types more than the scientists. On her home planet, scientists were treated like celebrities. It was an honor to be even remotely associated with a scientist. Then again, scientists seeking fame were the whole reason why her planet was no longer habitable, so maybe they were on to something.

Dr. Jackson smiled and held his arms open wide. Kiera stepped into his hug and squeezed him tightly. When they let go there was a shine to her father’s eyes that she decided to attribute to his glasses and not an excess of moisture. Her own vision was slightly blurry, but that could definitely just be high blood pressure from nerves. Dr. Carter hugged her, “I’m so proud of you. You’re going to be amazing.” She glanced over at Mike and Gina who were standing awkwardly together off to her left. “I don’t know why John brought in people from outside, but take care of them ok? It might take them a bit to adjust to all of…” she waved her hand at the gateroom, "..this.”

Kiera smiled, “I promise, Dr. Carter.”

Dr. Carter grinned and patted her shoulder, “That’s my girl.” Then she stepped away, stopping briefly by each commander involved in the mission on her way to the podium. As she stood behind the podium, her hands gracefully gripping the edge, the crowd noise died away as everyone turned to look up at her. The Stargate behind her framed her strikingly. “Good afternoon everyone." Her voice was strong and carried to all corners of the gateroom. "Today is a historic day for the Stargate Program. Over the years we have had many of those.” The crowd chuckled softly. Behind her on the ramp, General Shepherd quirked a proud grin. She continued, “But today stands out from the others. Unlike the defeat of the G’ould, or Orae, today’s adventure is rooted in exploration and science. The mission that begins today is truly one derived from the heart of the Stargate Program. Exploration. In the words of Frank Borman,” Dr. Carter looked out at the crowd, “Exploration is really the essence of the human spirit.” She tapped the podium slightly for emphasis. “We here at the SGC have not seen exploration on this scale since humans boarded the _Destiny_ for the first time.” She nodded slightly off to her left where a large plaque immortalized the crew of the _Destiny_ , lost in space for years now. “Unlike the rediscovery of _Atlantis_ , today marks the first step of a journey with only the barest hint of a destination.” 

Mike and Gina shared an uneasy glance. 

Dr. Carter's enthusiasm was infectious though, her voice thrummed with her passion. "Science and exploration represent the foundation of the human spirit. Human curiosity has brought many tragedies to our doorstep over the years, but it has also gifted us with some of the most amazing advances in technology and medicine, even art. Although we do not know where this journey may end, I can assure all of you that what you learn along the way will change the world as we know it." 

She gestured over her shoulder at the stargate, "Today, you will step through this stargate, left behind by the Ancients, and you will travel to the furthest edge of the network, as we know it. From there, you will go on to write your own story of exploration that will rival those of Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea." She paused for a moment, "You've got communication stones and a schedule to use them. After today, you may be light years away from home, but you will never be far from our thoughts. Be careful as you go, and come back safely." 

She led those standing on the ramp to the side as a team of airmen removed the podium and decorations. The transition from pompous ceremony to practical launch took less than four minutes. When she next spoke, her voice was professional and succinct, "Begin the dialing sequence." The klaxon sounded as the inner ring of the stargate began circling. One after another, the symbols were encoded, until finally the last symbol representing Earth, was locked. With a whoosh that Kiera felt through the soles of her boots, the empty space that previously occupied the center of the stargate was filled with a rush of what seemed like water, punching towards them before falling back, leaving a rippling surface where the emptiness had been. 

The destination had been MALPed earlier when the planet was prepped to act as their home base. The Puddle Jumpers were already at the base camp set up by SG-16. So they waited only one extra minute to receive the MALP's signal that confirmed nothing unexpected had changed about camp. Then, the teams began to move out. One after another, SG-14 and the other supplemental scientists stepped through the event horizon until only Kiera, Gina, and Mike remained. Kiera shared one last quick hug with her father before she picked up her packs and led the others up the ramp. They stopped at the edge, their bags hanging from trembling hands. Mike, standing in between the girls, hesitantly reached his one empty hand through the horizon. His face shone pearly in the light as his voice warbled, "You know, I'm not entirely sure that..." Gina and Kiera shared a look behind Mike's back. Then, simultaneously, they planted a hand on Mike's shoulder blade and together the three of them stepped through the event horizon. 

The wormhole stuttered, wobbled, fizzed, then collapsed with an inaudible _pop_ leaving the embarkation room draped in a dim quiet. 

"What the hell was that?" The confusion and consternation in General Sheppard's voice spoke for them all. 

Dread lodged in Daniel Jackson's chest as Carter called for the control room to reestablish the connection with the destination. Dread turned to terror when the message came through, the youngest and brightest and newest members of the expedition never made it to their destination. 

Kiera, Mike, and Gina were lost. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds himself in trouble as the rest of the Librarians return from an encounter with the Serpent Brotherhood. Excalibur seems exceptionally excited about where they've been and Jenkins is vague but inspiring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hot dawg! Here it is, chapter 5. And in a week, can you believe it? This story is making me all kinds of excited! I can't wait for you all to see where it goes. 
> 
> ~Cierra

The Annex creaked and whispered in the way that old buildings tend to. From behind the door to Jenkins' offices there came the occasional  _harrumph_  and whir of magical device as he tinkered. The expectant silence was shattered as one of the many long hallways echoed with the sounds of sword combat. The zing of sword-on-sword rang in a counterpoint to the  _hah_  and  _hiyah_  of tv-inspired kung-fu. Rounding the corner and tumbling into the main room of the Annex came Tony, followed by a floating sword that seemed hell-bent on skewering the youngest Librarian. Tony parried the sword, then leapt across the central table, sweeping books and scrolls to the floor in his haste. He ducked under a swipe from the sword and clattered over a rocking chair that hadn't been there earlier in the day. Tony hit the floor in a heap, cursing in Russian as he rolled to avoid the point of the sword which struck deep into the wood of the floor. The sword struggled to free itself from the fibrous oak. 

He jumped up to his feet, stumbling back until there was some space between them. When he realized the sword was momentarily stuck, a huge grin split his face. "Oh come on Excalibur! You can't let a little thing like gravity get you down!" He swung his sword in a haughty butterfly move that was supposed to look cool like on tv, but instead had him flailing his arms around awkwardly. 

The sword wordlessly growled and with a lurch freed itself from the floor. With a circling whiz of speed, it attacked again. Tony parried and lunged, he feinted and riposte, shuffling across the Annex with talent but no real skill. Excalibur stabbed forward. Tony pivoted out of the way at the last instant. Excalibur impaled itself in the wooden door to Jenkins' office. Behind the door, Tony heard a thunderous crash and what quite possibly could be the sound of a slightly overweight immortal falling over backwards. 

His eyes widened in fear. Even Excalibur stilled where it stuck, afraid to attract attention. Silence once again reigned in the Annex. But not for long. 

"Antony Julius Herodotus Albert Carson Baird!" 

Tony felt blood flee his face. Excalibur shivered and removed itself from the wall post-haste, and whizzed back down the hall. Tony followed it with his eyes, "Coward." he muttered under his breath. 

The door to Jenkins' offices opened, and Jenkins himself stepped through the frame, his face red and eyes piercing. 

Tony tried not to notice the haphazard mess that was Jenkins' white hair. Belatedly, he remembered the sword in his hand. Quickly, he tossed it behind his mother's desk, hoping that Jenkins hadn't noticed it yet. 

Jenkins eyebrows drew together in an imperious glower, sending a shiver up Tony's spine and making him feel like he was nine years old again. 

When he spoke, Jenkins' voice was tight. "How many times do I have to tell you, young Librarian?" He stomped around Tony and picked up the sword where it had been carelessly tossed. "Weapons, and the Annex, must be treated with respect  _at all times._ " He examined the blade, checking for nicks and dust. What he saw obviously did not impress him. "Your actions must have a consequence young man." He turned the sword over in his hands, offering it hilt-first to Tony. When Tony took it back, Jenkins nodded curtly. "Follow me." 

He turned to go back into his office, then came to an abrupt halt, his gaze locked tightly to the hole in his door. The sigh that issued forth from his mouth represented the world's weight in annoyance. He took a deep breath, glancing down to compose himself.

Tony winced in advance, knowing that it wouldn't take long for Jenkins' sharp eyes to find the other hole in the floor. 

Jenkins' deep calming breath squeaked to a halt as he discovered the mar in the beautiful wood floor.  "Tony. Carson. Baird." With each enunciated word, Tony flinched again. "You, sir, are in a lot of trouble." Jenkins turned around and glared at him. Jenkins harrumphed, "Perhaps what you need is some practical education today." 

Inwardly, Tony groaned. 

Jenkins barked, "Yes! I think so. By the end of today," he wagged his finger in Tony's face, "you will understand to your very core the proper care and maintenance of a bladed weapon AND have a functioning knowledge of the basics of carpentry!" He turned and started walking toward the little desk and chalkboard they used for their lessons. "Go," he pointed to one of the closets, "fetch the sword care kit." 

Tony dragged his feet at the order, tempted to drag his sword on the floor as he went, but knew better than to try that with Jenkins. He stopped to place the sword on his desk, before digging around in the closet that was much less dusty than expected. 

Jenkins took his place at the chalkboard and quickly sketched the different parts of a sword. When he was done, he leaned his head out of his office door and roared, "EXCALIBUR! Get yourself in this office immediately! I know you were part of this!" 

The sound of a reluctant whine echoed through the hall. 

"I'm not going to repeat myself Excalibur! Get in here, NOW!" 

Tony returned to his seat, with the various oils and rags necessary. Excalibur snuck over the threshold hilt-first, the tip of the sword mere millimeters from scratching the wood. Jenkins imperiously summoned Excalibur with a quick motion of his fingers. The sword hilt settled comfortably in his hand. Jenkins sighed and ran the palm of his left hand down the length of the blade. His sharp eyes noticing nicks and fingerprints from the battle with Tony. "You have to take care of yourself, Excalibur." He admonished quietly, "You've only just recovered since magic returned to the world. You're not yet as strong as you'll need to be when Arthur finally returns." 

Excalibur whined softly and then lay quiet in Jenkins' hand.  

Jenkins turned his attention to Tony. "Name the standard parts of a sword."

Tony jumped a little, "Hilt, pommel, guard, blade."

Jenkins nodded. "Correct, young Librarian." He gestured with the same imperious twitch of his fingers and Tony handed over one of the rags. He demonstrated the best methods to clean a blade with Excalibur, then had Tony imitate him with his blade. When the blade was sufficiently clean, Jenkins instructed him to sheath it. Excalibur seemed to droop as Tony put his sword away. Tony attributed it to the end of their play from earlier, but Jenkins patted Excalibur's hilt comfortingly. His voice was a little gruff "It'll turn up some day Excalibur. We just need to find it." Excalibur sighed wordlessly and floated out of the office door. 

Tony opened his mouth to ask, but Jenkins anticipated it. "Excalibur used to have a scabbard." He settled onto a tall stool next to the chalkboard. "But Morgan Le Fey stole it and threw it into a lake." He scowled, "I've taken several trips to that area to try to find the scabbard but alas, it hasn't turned up yet."

"Was it magic, like Excalibur is?" Tony asked. 

"Of course it was! Could you image Excalibur with just a plain old scabbard? The original scabbard made the wearer practically invincible. Merlin himself spoke about its' power." Jenkins seemed lost in thought, or memory, for a long minute and Tony hoped that he had forgotten about the other half of his practical 'lessons' today. But Jenkins never forgets anything. With a shake of his head, he brought himself back around to the present. "Now, young Librarian. What is the purpose of lignin in plants?"

Tony sighed, "Lignin is a polymer found in plants that makes their cell structure rigid. It's essentially what makes a tree, a tree. It is also responsible for the smell of old books as the polymer degrades into..." 

Hours later, Tony wiped sweat from his brow and leaned back on his heels. The floor of the Annex where Excalibur had stabbed it was beautifully repaired. Practically seamless. He had to admit to himself he was rather proud of the work. He stood up, stretching his back muscles and packing up his repair kit. He was just thinking about dinner when the globe that operated as the interface for the Door whizzed and spun, filling the space that usually led to a storage closet with light. Out of the light clattered his father, the Librarian, Flynn Carson. 

The Librarian was grinning broadly, his hair a tousled mess. He came flying across the room, obviously mid-sentence with Tony's mother Eve Baird who followed through the Door barely a step behind Flynn. 

"How can you say that went well?" Colonel Baird asked in a demanding tone that Tony recognized as a rhetorical question, but his father didn't. 

"We lived, didn't we?" Flynn sauntered over to the table and picked up a random scroll so he didn't have to look at her. 

"Lived?" A vein in Eve's temple throbbed. "Barely!" 

Behind her the other Librarians came through the Door in a tumble. The three of them were all talking at the same time, Tony knew better than to try to decipher what was going on. If he stuck to the sidelines and kept listening, he'd get the whole story eventually. He kept his attention on his mom, who was shouting in the general direction of his father. 

"The Serpent Brotherhood, which we all thought was gone for the past  _decade,_ shows up at the grand opening of the new exhibit at the New York Museum, steals a priceless painting that is somehow capable of teleporting people to other worlds, we get stuck in this crazy imitation Egyptian pyramid which just  _happens_  to be parked on the edge of a humongous lake with a Librarian-eating dragon in it." 

Flynn tried to interject, "Obviously it wasn't a dragon, it had to be a..." 

Eve placed a finger over his lips, "Ah ah ah! I wasn't done yet! Then, oh ho, THEN these three," she gestures to the other Librarians who immediately all start trying to defend themselves. Eve just kept ranting right over them, "had to wander off on their own. How they found an Oubliette in the middle of a forest I will never know!" She panted slightly. 

Flynn raised his hand in the air, giving her a strained look. 

Eve rolled her eyes, "What?" 

"We're alive aren't we? We managed to get back through the painting, we rescued them from the oubliette, and none of us got eaten by the serpent in the lake. That's a good thing, right?" 

Eve sighed, "But do we have the painting?" 

Flynn waved his hands around dismissively. "We'll get it! Next time!" 

Tony flinched, his home school evaluater was always saying his social skills weren't where they should be, but even so he knew that was not the right answer. He edged around the room until he was closer to his uncles and aunt. When he was safely away from his mom's pending wrath, he stood between his two uncles who naturally made space for him in their trio. 

Uncle Jacob was talking, his deep voice and southern accent always made Tony a little jealous. It was like his Uncle Jacob was cut from the same cloth as The Duke in those old western movies. "I'm telling you guys, there was something different about that pyramid. And who puts an oubliette in the middle of a stonehenge next to a lake? It doesn't make any sense." 

Uncle Ezekiel piped up, "You know, before today I thought an oubliette was some sort of glazed pastry." 

Aunt Cassandra squeaked before she spoke "What? Really? Don't you watch movies? Don't you read? Anyway, you're a thief! You should know these things."

Uncle Ezekiel shrugged, "No. Besides, an oubliette isn't a threat to the modern thief like myself." He puffed his chest out. 

"Anyway," Uncle Jacob continued, "That place was so weird. We have to find a way to go back." 

Aunt Cassandra's eyes almost popped out of her head, "Go back? Are you crazy? We almost got eaten! By a dragon!"

From the other side of the room Flynn interjected, "It wasn't a dragon!" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by Eve's finger waving in his face. 

Uncle Ezekiel pointed at Aunt Cassandra, "She's right y'know. It's too dangerous." 

Uncle Jacob practically vibrated with intensity "Come on guys! There's gotta be something special there! I can just feel it, y'know? There's no other reason for Egyptian, Renaissance European, and Neolithic architecture to occupy the same space!"

Uncle Ezekiel looked at Aunt Cassandra, "He's got a point there." He stared expectantly at her. 

Aunt Cassandra scoffed, "We can't go back. We don't have the painting. Unless you know some other way of getting to distant places instantaneously?"

There was a pause, then all three of them turned to look at the Door. Tony followed like a duckling as they rushed to the Door. 

Uncle Jacob held his hands out as if presenting the Globe to them. "What about this? It could work, right?"

Uncle Ezekiel shook his head, "I don't know guys. This is a globe, not the painting. We're not even sure that place was in the same reality." 

Aunt Cassandra nodded, "Ezekiel's right Jacob. The Door is guided by the Globe. When it spins it represents the compression of space..." She started to get a glassy eyed look that Tony knew meant she was doing that awesome mental math trick of hers. 

"When a destination is input into the Globe, it connects to the nearest ley lines. Which then allows us to travel along the ley lines to our destination. That's why we can't just pick where we come out of all willy-nilly. The exit Door is always based on the strength and current of the nearest ley lines. If that lake isn't anywhere on this earth as we know it, the globe could end up sending us off to who-knows-where! Initiating the magic of the Door without a concrete destination would be completely reckless! There's no telling where we would end up." She huffed, glared at the two men, then licked her lips. "Ooh. Gumbo!"

Tony chuckled at the vagaries of his aunt's synesthesia. A tap to his lower left shoulder blade made him start, he whipped his head around and found Excalibur floating behind him. Excalibur whined quietly and bumped his shoulder again. 

Tony stepped away from his crazy family who, thankfully, had broken into a full Librarian discussion. When all four Librarians and the Guardian got going like that, he knew they would be busy for at least a few minutes. Though sometimes those discussions lasted  _hours_. 

He kept his voice down so he wouldn't distract them. "What is it Excalibur?" 

Excalibur bobbed up and down and twirled while still giving that barely perceptible whine. 

Tony held out his hand to comfort Excalibur. It settled the hilt securely in his hand, still buzzing. It pulled him towards the Globe that operated the Door. 

"Do you want to go somewhere?" He whispered to it. 

He could feel it buzz an affirmative. It was the strangest feeling. He'd been sparring with Excalibur his entire life, and he'd often pretended to have conversations with it. Regardless of his fantasies, it was still just a magical sword. But with the hilt in his hand, this time he could almost swear he knew what it was feeling. That Excalibur wanted something. 

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, puzzled. Excalibur spun several times in his hand. The friction from the hilt warmed his palm. Its annoyance was clear. It tugged on him again, turning them both until they were pointed at the arguing Librarians. Then it tugged them towards the globe again. 

"You want to go to that lake with the weird pyramid and stonehenge?" Tony coughed, he hadn't meant to be quite that loud. He couldn't contain the incredulity in his voice though when he asked, "Why?" 

Inwardly, he rolled his eyes at himself. Excalibur couldn't talk. An open ended question like 'why' would get him nowhere. 

A quiet  _harrump_  behind him startled them both. Jenkins walked over to the Globe, setting a protective hand on it. When he spoke, his voice was just as quiet as Tony's, "Perhaps, Excalibur remembers that lake?"

The sword in his hand pulsed an affirmative. Tony nodded to Jenkins. 

A strange expression came over Jenkins' face. He straightened his shoulders and stood tall, staring at the two of them. The boy and the sword. For a brief moment, Tony thought he could see how this slightly dottery old man was once Sir Galahad, the noblest and purest of Arthur's knights. Then Tony blinked, and Jenkins was Jenkins again

Out of his pocket he pulled a folded piece of paper. "Here," he gruffly handed Tony the paper. "This fell out of the Book the other day, but I wasn't sure who it was meant for. But now, seeing you with Excalibur, I think it was meant for you." He sighed heavily and looked off into the middle distance. Tony was reminded briefly of his Aunt Cassandra. Jenkins' voice was slightly dreamy, "Yes, I think it is about time." 

Tony felt worry blossom in his chest, "Time for what?" 

Jenkins shook his head, snapping back to reality, "Time for you to get a watch." He growled. "Read that, gather your things, and meet me by the Grail once all these...," he gestured wildly to the still arguing Librarians "... librarians go somewhere else. Understood?" His eyes flashed. 

Tony nodded vigorously and turned to rush off to his room, Excalibur and the folded piece of paper gripped tightly in his hands.

Jenkins called after him, "And Tony?" 

Tony stopped and looked over his shoulder, "sir?"

"Get Excalibur a sheath." Jenkins waved him along, and turned to interrupt the argument. 

Tony looked down at Excalibur, who buzzed enthusiastically in his hand. A huge grin spread across his face as he realized what was happening. It was finally his turn to go on an adventure. 


End file.
